Filenews 14 June 2024 - by Dora Christodoulou
From Cyprus to Australia, from Australia to London and from London to Greece, the struggle for the return of the Parthenon Marbles continues unabated.
The impact of Michalakis Law Firm's initiative Kyprianou for the return of the Marbles is now unprecedented, with teams created, both by Cypriots and Greeks, who are now working tirelessly on a legal level to achieve the goal.
One of Michael Kyprianou & Co LLC's partners, Savvas Savvides, who initiated the international legal campaign on the issue, told "F" yesterday that the dedication and intensive work of these teams is commendable and truly impressive. I receive emails and messages of support from every corner of the world, which I am very happy about," he said. Despite any differences in our views on the solution that could be found, they are put aside and we focus on our common goal: the return of the Marbles to the Parthenon.
We will not accept any discounts or compromises, Savvides said, and especially the team working in Cyprus has a clear position that it will not accept any compromise for the return of the Marbles to Athens. The current discussion about lending the Marbles to Greece, in exchange for borrowing exhibits from the Acropolis Museum, is not an acceptable solution, he stressed.
The British Museum's claim that the Marbles have not been stolen and that they cannot be accused of theft seems to be losing ground and being completely deconstructed through the hard struggles that have been fought, he explains. The statement by Turkey's representative at the 24th Session of UNESCO's Intergovernmental Committee on the Return of Cultural Property to Countries of Origin (ICPRCP) was crucial. Zeynep Boz, head of Turkey's anti-antiquities trafficking department, said it was not aware of a document legalizing the purchase, refuting the British Museum's claim that the marbles were acquired legally.
In 1799, the then ambassador of Great Britain, Lord Elgin, taking advantage of his position and asking for a firman, managed to remove the marbles from the Parthenon. The notorious firman did not have the signature of the sultan and therefore had no validity. Despite this, Elgin managed to seize the sculptures and sent memos to the British government to buy them. The Marbles were eventually bought by the British State for £35,000, but because Elgin owed £18,000 to the state, he was given only £17,000. This is a strong legal point that shows that his ultimate goal was to write off his debt to the British Treasury in any way, Savvas Savvides points out.
It is not possible for UNESCO to have the Parthenon as its emblem and for this monument to have scattered pieces of it everywhere, he stresses. It is unacceptable that we continue to accept this situation. It is our national and universal obligation to do justice. We strongly say no to any compromise that would lead, implicitly but clearly, to recognition that the UK acquired the Marbles legally.
The struggle continues and will continue until the Parthenon Marbles return to their natural space, delivering justice and respect to Greece's cultural heritage.
